“Just because you hit your 60s, it doesn’t mean your brain starts to power down. Just the opposite. Your noodle needs more stimulation than ever, and, finally, you have the time to supply the required intellectual input.” more of the yahoo article

What I want to talk about is not the retirement plan of the yahoo article that I quote here, it is the introduction of the article that caught my attention and the age behaviour expectation/restriction we have in our society.

We suffer from a beraucratic procedures at work market where higher levels jobs are mostly based on the years of experience of a person in a certain field. Add to that, the compulsory – non chosen – field of study for most of us. People end up stuck in a field that they don’t like just to keep on moving up the scale of their career path that is based on their past experience.

While I understand that experience is important (no one can deny that an experienced personel can do a better job than unexperienced one), I believe that it is overrated in Jordan. I mean think about it, how much does it take for a person to learn a certain job? I bet that in a 6 months period time, anyone can learn any new thing and start being productive regardless of the complexity of the task at hand.

What does really matter here is the passion you have for your job. Unfortunatly that is a far away concept in our society. Making money is what matters, and experience is that key! We are not aware that a person with passion can excel in his field much better than one who doesn’t and regardless of the years of experience.

People’s interests and desires change over time. A new skill comes up, a new talent emerge, a passion for something grow up. In the current system we have, most people find it hard to let go what they have built and start all over again as an entry level in a market that values experience the most.

Recently we are seeing a lot of private and public organization supporting local talents in various fields. The British Council Chevening scholarship for a master’s degree is limited to people up to the age of 35. Fulbright scholarship has the same age limitation. Various scholarship in the market targets our youth.

It is good to see such support for our young talents, but what about older guys? What about older people who never really had the chance to fill their fully potential? What about those people who are stuck in a career that is not for them?

I understand that a younger person has a better chance of getting the best out of a scholarship than a middle age one because of the time remained ahead of him, but, really how many years are needed for a person to excel? Two? People in the right place can shine in less!

While it is fear that strangles all of us in the bondage of society norm and expectations. Breaking it up is what sets us free to fly the heights of our true potentials.

And no, age is no restriction. I can achive in my 70’s what I failed to achive now. Just watch me!